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TX - Keith, 53, & Margaret Conable, 50, San Antonio, 9 May 1980

DNA evidence from 1980 murder to be retested

In 1980, a San Antonio husband and wife were murdered inside their home.
Margaret and Keith Conable were married for 34 years, and their pledge of love lasted until the day they died in May 1980. The Conables would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this year.

"It's certainly brutal, it's unusual," said Det. George Saidler, with the San Antonio Police Department's cold case unit. "It's not very often we get something like this."

1980 MARGARET AND KEITH CONABLE
Case 80/151611, May 10, 1980
Around 11:00 pm on Friday, May 9, 1980, neighbors reported hearing gunshots in the 400 block of Cherry Ridge. Around that same time, a 1973 tan/gold Mercury Montego was seen driving down the street at a high rate of speed. As the vehicle was known to belong to Margaret and Keith Conable, who lived at 458 Cherry Ridge, the neighbors thought one of the Conables must have taken ill and were driving fast to reach medical care.
The next morning, Saturday, May 10, 1980, a neighbor noticed the Conables' car was still gone and went over to check on the house. The house was open and when the neighbor entered he found both Margaret and Keith Conable bound and badly beaten to death. The Conables' vehicle had been stolen and some CB-style radios from inside the home were taken. At the time of their death, Keith Conable was 53 and Margaret Conable was 50 years old.
Over the years, several leads have been followed up, but the case remains unsolved with no clear-cut motive on why someone would commit such a brutal crime. The CB radios taken from the house and the Conables' 1973 Mercury Montego (TX ECF275) remain missing. Detectives are looking for your help in finding the car or any other evidence or information that will lead to the solving of this case, and bring closure to the family this couple left behind.

1973 Mercury Montego

That is a sad and interesting case. I find myself wondering what the 1973 tan/gold Mercury Montego looked like. If you have a link to a picture of the model it would be good. In the meantime I'll look for one to post....

I remember this murder! These people lived 2 or three houses away from my me, and this happened about a month or two after I was bron. My mother said that she remembers that this poor couple was bound, gagged, blindfolded, and shot execution style in the back of the heads in a "home invasion" style break-in. She said that the media and police at the time thought that it was gang related, and that they had the wrong house.

I just wanted to say as family of Margaret and Keith that we appreciate that people are keeping this out in the public eye and discussing it as we are always still looking for new clues and information about who may have done this. If you or someone you know lived nearby them and remember anything at all about that day, any information could be extremely useful. Same goes for anyone living in or around San Antonio at that time and could possibly remember someone having that type of car after the date of their death. Any clues are always much appreciated.

Welcome...

Originally Posted by ssofran

I just wanted to say as family of Margaret and Keith that we appreciate that people are keeping this out in the public eye and discussing it as we are always still looking for new clues and information about who may have done this. If you or someone you know lived nearby them and remember anything at all about that day, any information could be extremely useful. Same goes for anyone living in or around San Antonio at that time and could possibly remember someone having that type of car after the date of their death. Any clues are always much appreciated.

Thank You

...
To Web-sleuths

Margaret and Keith Conable

[Just speculating]

But perhaps it was the car they wanted.

And the murders occurred to buy themselves more time in getting away. It seemed to have worked for them, since the couple was not found until the next morning, after 12 hours or so had past. Do you know if they put a APB out in Mexico, to see if the car may-had turned up there?

And i speculate, that perhaps a week or two before the crime was committed and the car stolen, do you or anyone remember seeing anyone looking at the vehicle while parked outside, such as neighbors, and did the couple happened to mention that perhaps persons had visited them to ask and see if they would be interested in selling the car?

I don't believe, for now, that this was just a random act.
I think perhaps they knew whom lived there. and knew they were older, and would not put up much of a defense.
Someone whom had visited the couple beforehand, and knew things about them perhaps.
But i sense it was the car they wanted. So they went back that Friday night, around 11pm and knocked on the door.
When the man answered, (I don't remember reading about any forced entry) they were attacked and bounded with electrical cord, or phone line cord something like that, they were made to lay down inside the room there, where the front door is i speculate. One or both may-had there hands tied around there backs, and left laying on there stomach, but just speculating on that. After getting the keys to the car, and taking some other items, they left.

THE ABOVE ALL MOO AND SPECULATION ON MY PART.
NOTHING POSTED AS BEING FACT, UNLESS OTHERWISE KNOWN TO BE.

It looks like a regular middle class neighborhood. Their house looks like it had a garage at one point but that it was converted to an extra room.

Does anyone know anything about their backgrounds and interests? Did either/both of them work? Did they have any particular hobbies?
How many children did they have? Did they have any family members living in San Antonio at the time? If so, perhaps they knew of any "new" acquaintances or suspicious people involved in their lives?

Keith had been a Corporal in the US Air Force in WWII, according to his headstone.

Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
Therefore, send not to know, for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
~John Dunne

The car was always parked in the driveway. The garage had been converted. Margaret worked at Lackland AFB in civil service. Keith was semi-retired. He worked as a mechanic and had interest in some used car lots. We are still heart broken and would appreciate any leads.